Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Center for Tumor Immunology Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 16;24(8):7359. doi: 10.3390/ijms24087359.
Ionizing radiation (IR) is used to treat 50% of cancers. While the cytotoxic effects related to DNA damage with IR have been known since the early 20th century, the role of the immune system in the treatment response is still yet to be fully determined. IR can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), which activates innate and adaptive immunity against the cancer. It has also been widely reported that an intact immune system is essential to IR efficacy. However, this response is typically transient, and wound healing processes also become upregulated, dampening early immunological efforts to overcome the disease. This immune suppression involves many complex cellular and molecular mechanisms that ultimately result in the generation of radioresistance in many cases. Understanding the mechanisms behind these responses is challenging as the effects are extensive and often occur simultaneously within the tumor. Here, we describe the effects of IR on the immune landscape of tumors. ICD, along with myeloid and lymphoid responses to IR, are discussed, with the hope of shedding light on the complex immune stimulatory and immunosuppressive responses involved with this cornerstone cancer treatment. Leveraging these immunological effects can provide a platform for improving immunotherapy efficacy in the future.
电离辐射（IR）用于治疗 50%的癌症。虽然自 20 世纪初以来就已经知道与 IR 相关的 DNA 损伤的细胞毒性作用，但免疫系统在治疗反应中的作用仍有待完全确定。IR 可以诱导免疫原性细胞死亡（ICD），从而激活针对癌症的先天和适应性免疫。也有广泛报道称，完整的免疫系统对于 IR 的疗效至关重要。然而，这种反应通常是短暂的，伤口愈合过程也会被上调，从而抑制早期免疫努力来克服疾病。这种免疫抑制涉及许多复杂的细胞和分子机制，最终导致许多情况下产生放射抗性。由于这些反应的影响广泛，并且通常同时发生在肿瘤内，因此理解这些反应背后的机制具有挑战性。在这里，我们描述了 IR 对肿瘤免疫景观的影响。讨论了 ICD 以及对 IR 的髓系和淋巴反应，希望能阐明与这种基石癌症治疗相关的复杂免疫刺激和免疫抑制反应。利用这些免疫学效应可以为未来提高免疫疗法的疗效提供一个平台。
